oldwheels
Legendary Member
- Location
- Isle of Mull
I am contemplating adding an electric assist to my trike. Kinetics in Glasgow advertises Pendix motors. Has anyone got experience of these?
Pendix anyone?
- Thread starter oldwheels
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
welsh dragon
Thanks but no thanks. I think I'll pass.
Never heard of them but that's a hell of a lot of money for something that will only give you 28km. You can buy a whole ebike for that price and probably get more mileage. I know it's a trike but still. That's a lot.
But of course, it's horses for courses. Others on here are far more knowledgeable than I am and can give you good advise.
But of course, it's horses for courses. Others on here are far more knowledgeable than I am and can give you good advise.
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
Lot of money for no benefit over a much, much, cheaper hub or just a lot cheaper crank kit.
OP
OP
oldwheels
Legendary Member
- Location
- Isle of Mull
Still at the thinking stage on this. Kinetics seem to specialise in all sorts of cycle based transport so should be knowledgeable. He has a decidedly rustic looking cargo bike with electric assist which seems to carry a vast amount of stuff for his own use. Not easy for me to visit but will just have to bite the bullet and go rather than a phone conversation. Any opinions still welcome tho’.
welsh dragon
Thanks but no thanks. I think I'll pass.
Another thing you have to consider are the claims they make regarding the mileage you can get from the system. 28km or 20 odd miles will only be attainanable under optimum conditions IE if you only ever use the minimum power setting, don't ride if you have windy conditiins and you don't go over anything bigger than a bump in the road. It is very similar to the claims made about electric cars and the mileage you get versus their claims.
The mileage you get can/will be drastically reduced. That makes it even less of a bargain.
The mileage you get can/will be drastically reduced. That makes it even less of a bargain.
OP
OP
oldwheels
Legendary Member
- Location
- Isle of Mull
CXRAndy that sounds more promising. I am aware of the battery limitations on any current bike as I have a GTech Sport. I usually reckon on about half the distance claimed to be on the safe side.
The setup I installed on the wife's bike has theoretical range of around 120 miles- I've/She had up to 90 miles with 25% battery life left. She normally demands around 100W of power from the motor to aid her riding. This allows her to travel between 14-16 mph in comfort. I would suspect and we haven't tried yet to find the lower range by running full assist but I would estimate around 60 miles from fully charged battery. However I charge to 80-90% to increase battery life.
From 80% charge she can easily get 40 miles of range which is two round trips to nearest town.
velobrands
New Member
Hi, full disclaimer as we are the UK importer for Pendix. In a nutshell, quality, reliability, after sales service and hopefully peace of mind are what you are paying for with Pendix. It is manufactured in Germany to a very high standard and the failure rate is negligible compared to other premium brands let alone cheaper alternatives with no supply and service network in place to look after you if something did go wrong. On the subject of battery life and range, as others have already stated this is hugely dependent on a lot of variables relating to how individuals use the kits - no brand has developed a magic bullet battery and motor that achieves claimed performance regardless of user circumstance. We would always advise speaking to a supplier like Kinetics as they are working with a variety of systems every day and do get to know them inside out. They will be able to give you useful, helpful advice that can inform your decision further. Of course, they wont be the cheapest up front option but i'd suggest on a technical item like this its usually worth considering all factors, not just initial cost. Hope this helps.
OP
OP
oldwheels
Legendary Member
- Location
- Isle of Mull
Thanks velobrands. I have dealt with Kinetics and found Ben knowledgable with alternative cycle transport. I am familiar with current battery life problems.
neil earley
Guru
- Location
- Neath
Hi Andy
What does custom firmware give you over a standard kit and who was your supplier please
The firmware allows for adjustment of virtually all parameters of the motor control, battery voltage, display features and motor safety features. I used it to limit the current to 10 Amps, used a higher voltage battery-again to limit overheating possibilities. I also limited peak power. I added a couple of extra assist levels in between to allow my wife closer steps in assist.
I bought the one with a thumb throttle. I dont use it, but I can add thermal sensor with these added wires.
Here is the company that will supply the kit pre installed with open source firmware. Mine worked perfectly with no issues. https://www.electrifybike.com/store/c37/TSDZ2_Flexible_Open_Source_Firmware_Products.html#/
Recently there are newer displays with more functional control and better looking.
This is a good information website
https://github.com/OpenSource-EBike-firmware/TSDZ2_wiki/wiki
Also look and 'endless sphere' website, where the developer posts comments.
